biggish data

Fiance Pregnant

here is the link for what happened to her
http://www.visajourn...was-a-disaster/

Good job Scott. Maybe it was him that was threatening the lawsuit, not Ellis. I do know they retained him, they got the visa and the baby was born in America. We talked a few times and they were living happily ever after in Iowa.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-08-22 19:55:00

Fiance Pregnant

The member lovemyhuegirl ( http://www.visajourn...-lovemyhuegirl/ ) was given a blue slip pending the results of a DNA test. It aapears that his posts have gotten lost with the change to the new server. Mark Ellis threatened them with a federal lawsuit if anything happened to the baby during birth and they changed their mind.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-08-22 19:39:00

There are also legal issues. It is illegal to sell Powerball (or any other multi-state or state operated lottery) tickets outside the US, or to even sell shares in those tickets, which is essentially what you would be doing. You would effectively be running your own unlicensed international lottery based on being a proxy to an officially sanctioned lottery system.

Don't even think about stuff like this. It will only get you into trouble.

I agree. The gov here doesn't like competition.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-05 20:32:00

I have just looked into it, and HSBC wants 30% down with a minimum 900 million dong loan, and you must make at least 10 million a month, this would be combined income yours and hers. It is actually kinda simple and painless. Hope this helps! Jerome

I've heard they're the best bank here.

O/P, here's a link to their site. Click on the tab located on the right that says Home Loan Calculator. They're asking 13%.

http://www.hsbc.com....ulator_pay.html

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-02 11:01:00

Not sure about bingo either. Remember the motto: Vietnam. Everything's illegal and anything's possible.

ACB's home loan guide:

http://www.acb.com.v...loans&Itemid=14

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 02 November 2010 - 12:10 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-02 00:09:00

Are you sure you want to live in Vietnam? Usually, people want to move to the U.S--not the other way around. With this say, it is not easy to make a living in Vietnam without a foundation--you need connection and plenty of cash.

I came here with 2K, so you don't really need that much.

Home loans are possible, but I don't know that much about them. I do know that my bank pays 11% per annum on a standard CD, so the loans they make may be high as well.

http://www.acb.com.v...at_khcn_eng.pdf

I certainly don't recommend ACB. I only bank with them because I am forced to by my employer.

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 02 November 2010 - 12:02 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-01 23:58:00

Holy Coprolite, Batman! ---APPROVED!

Congrats to you!!!

I tried creating a new topic for the 2nd time and I can't find it. Can you help?

I clicked on a topic and then proceeded to click on "Start New Topic"

It's not showing under Portal-Vietnam.

Thanks

For it to show under the portal category I think you need to have the Vietnamese flag in your profile under Country. It'll still show up in the Vietnam forum without the flag.

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 09 November 2010 - 01:05 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-09 01:03:00

Holy Coprolite, Batman! ---APPROVED!

Holy coprolite? :lol:

I used to have a coprolite, it even had a little curly q on the top.

Great news! I'm very happy for you and yours.

Persistence removes resistance. You, as well as a few others on here, epitomize that saying.

Posted Image

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 07 November 2010 - 12:15 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-07 00:14:00

riding scooter in vietnam

I ride all the time. As long as you pay attention, and dont stop too fast you are fine. Knock on wood, I have not been in any accident yet, I have avoided a few, and I have seen some pretty bad things while riding, I watched a woman riding side saddle, her driver bounced into a truck, and the woman lost a foot, and a leg about the knee, I was 3 bikes back, and had to avoid her leg. Luckily my wife was not with me on that one, but for some reason she wonders why I dont like her riding side saddle anymore

The key to driving in Vietnam is to pay attention, and use people as blockers (Thanks Mr. Saigon I still use your advice) and make sure you do not stop to fast, if you do you might get ran over. Also look ahead, if you see something on the road ahead, be prepared for people to avoid it and in the process cut you off.

And on another not, if you are a foreigner and you do get pulled over talk to the cop as fast as possible, tell him you like his coat, hat, what ever you can think of, Fred said they will pass you along everytime.

Jerome

No problem on the advice.

Ouch. I haven't seen any amputations in the 2 years I've been riding a motorbike here (Thank God). I have seen a few fatalities though, as well as a few accidents (aside from my own).

I've had 2 single vehicle accidents. Both times I hit the front brake too hard on dirt/gravel. It's amazing how fast you can go down. Luckily I only suffered a few scrapes, bruises, a sprained ankle and wounded pride.

I agree with Fred. It's rare for a Westerner to be pulled over (most of the police don't speak English), but it does happen. If you're Viet Kieu it may be more likely. I was stopped a few months ago for running a red light (accidentally). 100K VND, a heavy dose of compliments and an on the spot rendition of Yesterday Once More got me going again.

Your potential choice of riding gear is certainly better than mine, which consists of sandals, shorts and a bad attitude. Feel free to wear your leather and boots. If anyone starts laughing just start singing Yesterday Once More (see previous paragraph) or Born to be Wild. Music truly doth tame the savage beast. Anytime I'm being stared at I start to sing. Might as well give them a show, right?

My friend, who's a doctor/highly educated, just left this afternoon. He was here for 4 days and stated that his favorite experience was the motorbike rides. There's nothing more liberating than getting out on ??i L? ?ông Tây and hitting the throttle.

On a separate note:

City bus crushes motorbikes on Saigon bridge, no casualties

Motorbikes end up under a public bus during a collision in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday

A public bus in Ho Chi Minh City lost control and hit a series of motorbikes on Wednesdayas it was driving down the Saigon bridge.

Six motorbikes were flung to either sides of the road after being hit from behind. The bus only stopped after two other motorbikes ended up under it, severely damaged.

No one was killed but at least six people were injured, four of them women.

The bus, full of passengers, was driving from Thu Duc District to downtown HCMC.

Eyewitnesses said the bridge was crowded at the time and no one could manage to do anything when they heard loud noises from the bus.

The accident happened at peak office hour in the morning, and caused a traffic jam for many hours.

Police are investigating the accident.

http://www.thanhnien...1124192717.aspx

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 26 November 2010 - 06:15 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-26 06:10:00

They have American coffee, filled donuts and great scenery. :thumbs:

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-01 01:59:00

there is a dunkin donuts clone at 136 nguyen thai hoc cross street is pnl. Have a pic but i don't know how to post it.

I saw that the other day. Did you notice if they have hot coffee there? I love Vietnamese style coffee, but I hate waiting for it to drip. Most of the time the coffee is cold before it's finished.

The easiest way to post a pic is to

1.) Upload it on a photo site, like Picasa.

2.) Right click on the photo and hit copy image location.

3.) On the VJ reply screen click Insert image.

4.) Paste the image url into the box and post.

Edited by Mekong Mark, 30 November 2010 - 09:43 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-30 21:39:00

I don't think that I've seen Linh put fish sauce on pizza......yet.

Maybe I've been here too long? :unsure:

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-26 22:20:00

What in the heck is so offensive about the thought of nouc mam and pizza crust? I'm gonna' have to try it. Will report my findings at a later date. :thumbs:

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-26 21:51:00

There is another one at Lotte Mart in District 7, and I have seen a few others in different areas, and as others have said, it isnt like American Pizza Hut.
Jerome

The American style doesn't have nouc mam baked into the crust.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-26 05:39:00

I forgot there were "real" Pizza Hut's here already. Well there's another one at De Tham and Tran Hung Dao now.

Posted Image

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-25 11:02:00

Yeah, the Vincom Center here has been open less than a year. It's almost directly across the street from where the last American chopper took off from in '75, which I find a bit ironic.

http://www.saigonnez...-vincom-center/

Check that. It's Diamond Plaza that's close to the site.

Posted Image

Edited by Mr. Saigon, 22 November 2010 - 12:35 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-22 00:34:00

I might be mistaken but i think vincom center is in Hanoi.

Yeah, the Vincom Center here has been open less than a year. It's almost directly across the street from where the last American chopper took off from in '75, which I find a bit ironic.

http://www.saigonnez...-vincom-center/

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-22 00:22:00

I defer to your real world expereince. I was thinking of a larger delivery area. Gotta think city, not suburbs.

They screw up on occasion, but no more than in America. Getting the order right over the phone is the hardest part. I say a prayer and do some deep breathing exercises before I call.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-21 19:08:00

I can't see the delivery thing working well in Saigon.

I remember that Pizza Hut in Bucharest was nothing like the local Pizza Huts in the US. Much nicer decor and braoder menu. Similar to the Saigon Carl's Jr. They all adapt to the culture.

LaCantina in D1 does a heck of a job delivering to my place, when I don't feel like going out. They're usually here in 30 or less (D3).

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-21 17:08:00

hmmm we have KFC, Pizza Hut, Popeye's, and now Dominos. They must really be trying to turn the Vietnamese into fat Asians, last year when I came here there were only 3 or 4 Buffets in town, now there are like 20, not to mention the fornamed fast food places. It is pretty sad to see one of the better things in Vietnam (fresh healthy food) being thrown under the bus. Whats next Donkin Donuts?

I've seen Pizza Hat and Pizza Hot here, so Donkin' Donuts wouldn't be a stretch. :lol:

I agree that it's sad. The local food is healthy. There's are reasons I lost 50 lbs in Vietnam, with the food being the main one.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-21 17:05:00

Domino’s Pizza, the second-largest pizza chain in the United States, has announced the opening of its first store in Vietnam, in the country's largest city, Ho Chi Minh City.In an announcement on November 19, the company's Finance Chief Michael Lawton recognised Vietnam as a growing economy. He said Domino's had made forays into four new countries this year with the others being Germany, Romania and Ukraine.

"Opening our first store in the largest city in Vietnam gives us an excellent entryway into this growing economy," said Lawton.

"We are very excited that Domino's Pizza, the global leader in pizza delivery, is now in Vietnam and we look forward to providing that same level of service that our customers expect from this global brand.", said Tony Cricenti, Chief Executive Officer of Domino’s Pizza in Vietnam.

Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza operates a network of 9,169 franchised and company-owned stores in the United States and 66 markets worldwide. The Domino's Pizza brand had global retail sales of over US$5.6 billion in 2009, comprised of nearly US$3.1 billion domestically and over US$2.5 billion internationally.

During the third quarter of 2010, the company had global retail sales of nearly US$1.4 billion, comprised of over US$747 million domestically and nearly US$650 million internationally.

http://english.vovne...1011/121587.vov

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-11-21 00:03:00

What do you do for a living?

I currently read English sentences for publication on an ESL website. Some of the recent jewels I have read are:

"Get the he!! out of my office and never come back."

"I saw him masturbating on the bed."

"I got stoned out of my mind last night."

"I'm coming with you!" "Like he!! you are!" :lol:

God I love Vietnam!

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-07 10:12:00

Cho Lan has a lot of vendors as well. I'd certainly go there before I'd go to Ben Thanh.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-07 22:14:00

Just buy an Ipad for reading.

We're talking about textbooks.

This post went out of topic.
from clothes to books.

Are you a mod already?

Edited by Mekong Mark, 07 December 2010 - 10:13 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-07 22:12:00

Believe me I did bring tons of text books with me, I just feel unsafe ordering more than 6 months worth of text books at a time, because if they change them on you then you have to order a new one, so each order I get 5 books (6 months worth) The sad thing was 2 of the books this last time were "The American Constitution" and "American history 1867 to the present" and the present had an entire chapters devoted to the Vietnam War and half a chapter devoted to Ho Chi Minh and his request for help and about the French War with American policy. I thought for sure neither would clear customs and they did sit there for 2 weeks before they released them

Have you ever considered having someone at home scan the books for you? I'd rather pay someone to scan them than deal with customs.

Edited by Mekong Mark, 06 December 2010 - 02:58 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-06 02:57:00

They tax almost everything that comes here. It depends on what value you set on it when you fill out the customs papers, and always mark it "Gift" this makes it cheaper. Most tax here is not that expensive, I just got a PC game and it was 11000 dong, I had to pay almost 1million dong for my school books, and 1 million was the price for importing a phone here as well, my motorbike helmet was 35000 dong and gifts I sent my wife were usually 10000 dong or so. If you send lots and lots I am sure it will jump up in price but a bit here or there it shouldnt be that much

Jerome

You'd know better than me.

A million for the books?? Wow. You're rich now, so it's just a drop in the bucket, right? :lol:

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-04 19:13:00

dont be surprised if there isnt a duty of about 30% on the import... hard to say that the cloth isnt an import to be sold...

I'd be surprised if it was that cheap. They're producing fabric here, so I imagine any imported into Vietnam is taxed heavily.

OP, here's a website that you may find interesting.

http://www.vietnamte...px?MaTheLoai=58

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-04 12:19:00

Take your time

Prenuptial agreement! Trust, but verify, Ronald Reagan. They WILL pretend to love you, so well that you will NOT detect anything. ........til they got the 10 year GC or become USC. Unless you were born and raised there in that society, you know NOTHING about the harsh life there and what people are willing to do to have better life.

But of course, noone would believe what I said before. I'll let you test out real life. Once you realize the damage, it's REAL and will be painful.

I'll agree with that statement, for the most part. Living here for 2 years has certainly opened my eyes, as well as the fact that my ex was trying to scam me and I caught her red handed.

Warning signs will be there, if a person chooses to see them.

Great topic Scott.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-07 22:46:00

Procedures Simplified for Marriages to Foreigners

HA NOI ? Both local and foreign nearly-weds are set to enjoy simplified administrative marriage procedures as of early April next year thanks to a new Government resolution.

The resolution, approved early this month, stipulates that those who are going to marry foreigners will be able to shorten their marriage registration time.

They will be able to continue with their procedures immediately after posting the banns of marriage to relevant authorities, including the departments of justice and local authorities, instead of waiting for seven days as before.

Only one person will be required to be present when submitting the marriage certificate, and procuration and leave of absence letters for the absentee will not be compulsory in this case.

According to the Government Office's Administrative Procedure Control Department, this step was not necessary as the legal issues were certified in the interview process.

Legal papers, including copies of permanent or temporary residence cards and general information on careers and the homeland of nearly-weds will also be eliminated.

All foreign-related marriage banns procedures would be solved within 20 days after all required papers had been registered. If the banns needed to be verified, the procedures would be completed within 30 days, the decree said.

Local nearly-weds will receive their marriage certificates three days after registration and five days in case verification is needed.

Nguyen Thuy Quynh, who is married to an American, said that it took them eight months to get their marriage certificate.

"We got married six years ago and the procedures were quite complicated and time-wasting. We still had to go from place to place to get the necessary documentation, even though we had been instructed carefully," she said.

Quynh said that her friend who got married to an Australian editor, was luckier as 'she finally got the certificate after around five months'. ? VNS

http://vietnamnews.v...foreigners.html

Edited by Mekong Mark, 22 December 2010 - 01:08 AM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-22 01:07:00

Opening a bank account in VN

You will have to sign something period...... Also you will need a work contract as well. They want to know where the money is comming from period......... I know this first hand because when I came, I did not feel like sleeping with 30k under my bed and wanted to open up a joint bank account with my wife.

The guy asked me why did I want to open up a bank account, and I said in a stupid voice because I dont want to sleep on my cash. We checked 5 different banks, and it CAN be done without the work contract, but it would only be in the Vietnamese nationals name, not in the foreigners name.

Hope this helps, but in Vietnam it is a real pain in the but to get a bank account open. They want to make sure you are paying your tax, and that you are making your money the real honest way, and not selling drugs, or that you are not attempting to funnel money out of the country.

Jerome and Binh

30K? VND? I started here with 2k!

I can't remember if ACB made me show anything, other than my passport, but I was the only person on the account. They seem to only want to see a lot of paperwork if you plan to send money out. The first time I tried they said my account was an ATM/cash account; that I had to prove where the money was coming from. I got a kick out of that, since the school deposited the money through ACB.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-21 23:37:00

why taking so long?

My family had to wait 3 long weeks on a small cramp boat drifting over the Pacific ocean and then 3 long years in a camp before landing our feet in America. Tell your wife her waiting today is NOTHING.

That has nothing to do with the wait time for a spousal visa. Nevertheless, you should start a new thread and write about the experience.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-20 13:52:00

Need help with gift ideas for recent VN immigrants

Do the boys have bikes yet? Skateboards? Medical Insurance?

Baseballs and gloves? Maybe you have the next Danny Graves there.

http://en.wikipedia....ki/Danny_Graves

In line with the Raiders gear, how about a football? I'd start with a Nerf, if it were me. Dat Nguyen has represented Vietnam in the NFL.

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Dat_Nguyen

I'm currently researching Vietnamese Christmas traditions and gifts. You may get an idea from one of these links:

http://www.vietnam-b...in-vietnam.html

http://www.christmas...-vietnam-style/

Following in the footsteps of 1HappyGuy, here's the California Taxpayers Bill of Rights in Vietnamese.:

http://www.ftb.ca.go...c/4058CVIET.pdf

I've seen quite a few statues of Jesus (aka Kito),and The Virgin Mary, in homes since I've been here. I know 2 adult Catholics and have had at least 5 students tell me they were Catholic. I still wouldn't give a statue of either as a gift though, unless it was to the guy down on Pham Ngu Lao that walks around spreading the good news. Don't know his name, but he certainly loves Jesus. Turns out he was in a re-education camp for 4 years. I suspect that's were he found him.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-21 07:22:00

He should be getting some preliminary offers by just this picture being noted and the attention. The other pics in that link were pretty good and hope he has a portfolio ready but sure his teacher that submitted the painting is advising him.

Yeah, I'm going to e-mail the teacher and thank her. I was worried about him going to Muskogee (not artsy) and tried to get a friend in Asheville, NC (artsy) to sponsor him. The friend acted like I had asked him for a kidney. :lol:

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-29 22:44:00

http://www.kcad.edu/...portfolio-days/

Thanks for all that info.! I'll pass it on to him.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-29 22:38:00

Here's a link to some of his other paintings:

http://picasaweb.goo...ndy06/QuanSArt#

I've been looking at scholarships. Not a lot there in Art, but he's a great student, so he may be able to get another type.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-29 09:39:00

I hope that competition leads to better things for him. No matter where he ends up he'll be successful.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-29 09:09:00

Quan has done exactly what I thought he would. Went to an American high school and set the standard! This kid rocks.

December 19, 2010

By Keith Purtell Phoenix Staff Writer The Muskogee Phoenix Sun Dec 19, 2010, 12:26 AM CST Foreign exchange student Quan Phan has made a big impression in his art class at Muskogee High School and is receiving national attention.

The 16-year-old senior arrived in Muskogee from Vietnam in August. After art teacher Jennifer Marple suggested he try acrylic paint, he created a painting titled “Vietnamese Spring.”

Marple submitted his painting and work by two other students to a competition held by the Crayola Corporation called the Crayola Dream-Makers Art Exhibition. Phan was one of three national finalists in his grade level.

Phan said he got the news two weeks ago. He had tried to put a lot of meaning into the image.

“I’m really excited, and I’m glad that everyone likes my painting,” he said. “On the left side is a picture of a market, which is a symbol of South Vietnam. On the right side is a one-pillar pagoda, which is one of the most famous chapel in our country. It stands for the northern part of my country.”

The center of the painting features a girl wearing traditional clothing with a dominant dragon design. Phan said the dragon represents Asian culture.

“I named it ‘Vietnamese Spring’ because it is almost spring in Vietnam, and during the spring a new cycle begins, and everything is reborn.”

Phan said he first got interested in art during elementary school.

“That was the time I started drawing and getting used to color and art competition,” he said. “I usually do landscapes, and sometimes I do pictures of people or still life. I do about one a week. A large picture takes two to three weeks.”

Phan said he lives in Ho Chi Minh City, where his father is manager of a paper company and his mother is an engineer with a Vietnamese airline company. He said he and his parents have different ideas about what he should study in college.

“It will be art or biology,” he said. “My parents try to guide me to go to biology because in Vietnam to be in art it’s not easy to find a job.”

Phan said his art class at Muskogee High School has given him a chance to try new techniques.

“In Vietnam I used watercolor and oil pastel,” he said. “Here, I am trying to use a lot of different materials. I am also trying some charcoal.”

Phan said he already knew something about American culture before he came here from television, movies and games. He said people in the United States have made him feel welcome, especially the Tschirhart and the Owen families in Tahlequah and Gallegos family in Muskogee.

Marple said she was pleased to see how much talent Phan has.

“In the morning we have bellwork activities; the kids have activities to do as soon as the bell rings, and he always blew it out of the water,” she said. “I go around every day and take credits on their work. Quan is always working as long as I allow.”

Marple said Phan has sparked some excitement in the art classes.

“He’s extremely creative and very driven,” she said. “I think Quan’s painting kind of inspires the other students to feel like they’re capable of the same quality of work.”

Marple said that Phan’s painting already is part of a U.S. Department of Education exhibit as a result of his placing in the Crayola competition.

http://muskogeephoenix.com/local/x1707769739/Exchange-student-s-art-gets-national-attention

Posted Image

Muskogee High School senior Quan Phan explains the symbolism in his winning painting titled “Vietnamese Spring.”

Posted Image

“Vietnamese Spring.”

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-29 08:34:00

k-1 horror story

I don't doubt that something like that could happen in the USA, but it would be nice if there was some sort of verification.

There have been at least 3 Vietnamese wives held captive, and then killed, by their Korean husbands. Here's links to the stories of 2 of them

http://www.saigon-gp...y/2010/7/83848/

http://briandeutsch....amese-wife.html

Stories like that are the reason for the mental health check, for marriages in Vietnam, and IMBRA for the US based marriages.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2011-01-08 23:09:00

Best way to learn English (for now)

Have her watch cartoons with the subtitles. Or educational shows with subtitiles. The speed of of speaker of children's programs and educational programs are slower and easier to understand. With subtitles, she'll be able to read and pick it up faster than w/o it.

Excellent advice. You can also download the VLC Media Player and slow down the playback of videos or songs. When you open a track you go to Playback>Slower or Slower (fine). It's pretty cool.

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Edited by Mekong Mark, 21 December 2010 - 11:52 PM.

Teacher Mark

Male

Vietnam (no flag)

2010-12-21 23:51:00